Travel Basketball Program Builds A Brand Of Winning In Wellington

Since 2002, the Wellington Wolves Travel Basketball Association has been providing a top-quality boys basketball program. Then, five years ago, Javatis Midget’s daughter, Jahnae, got involved and her father began coaching her fifth-grade girls team.

The first couple of years, the Wolves only had that single girls team. However, with Midget’s help, the program began to expand and improve. This year, the fifth-grade girls team are proud U.S. Amateur National Champions.

“I got involved because my daughter was interested in recreational basketball and someone suggested we get into the travel league,” Midget said. “I had about seven years of experience coaching then.”

It was a challenge early on.

“Most of the girls were in the fourth grade, but it’s hard to find competition younger than fifth grade, so they played up,” Midget recalled. “The first few years were very, very rocky, then we got more young ladies involved, and they started playing at a higher level. There was a large commitment from the coaches and the parents and the players.”

Through this hard work, the girls travel basketball program began to grow steadily.

“We started to develop some talent and attract some talent that had been going to towns as far away as Miami and Daytona to play. We started winning a few games,” Midget said.

Most of the current team has been together two years. “The coaches have learned a bit more, and the girls started buying-in,” he said. “That first year, the official record was 22 wins and three losses. We played in three tournaments, and we won one. I said, ‘Hey, we’ve got something here.’”

Midget still coaches the fifth-grade team, and his younger daughter, Jayla, is on it. Jahnae now plays on the ninth-grade team.

“Last year, the older team came in second and the younger team came in third, but there seemed to be improvement in every game,” Midget said. “This year, we had a tryout process and took a couple of new girls, and both my fifth-grade and ninth-grade teams won state, and the fifth-graders went to Tennessee and won the nationals.

The fifth-grade girls team includes: Ja’Niah Suprius, Sophia Vasquez, Alanna Beckman, Jayla Midget, Kiersten Henley, Julia Vasquez, Aubrey Beckham, Karolina Ramirez and Sophia Kateris.

The ninth-grade girls team, which started out as Midget’s first team, includes: Tyler DeBose, Ashley Thornton, Franaja Williams, Aspen Johnson, Ja’Niyah Eggeletion, Jahnae Midget, Lynzie Smikle, Christell Mentor and Kaela Swick.

“For the first couple of years, there was only the one girls team in the entire program,” Midget said. “It was a boys organization, but I kept working, along with a few others, to get more girls playing in it to build the brand for girls teams in Wellington. Our teams have professional uniforms that are second to none. Each player has the same shoes, the same socks, so they look sharp and professional. We win and lose with class.”

Midget complimented all the other coaches. “They are doing a tremendous job in building the brand for girls basketball in Wellington,” he said. “Hopefully, the teams will do well and get some college scholarships to help the parents out.”

Last year, seven players in the league received scholarship offers.

Some 60 girls competed this year, with the ninth-graders competing this summer in Kentucky. The seventh-grade girls also won at state. Next year, the Wolves will field seven grade-level girls teams.

“That’s huge growth,” Midget said. “I’m proud to have had a little bit of something to do with that growth.”

The boys unit, which fields twice as many teams as the girls side, won three state championships this year for the fifth-grade, seventh-grade and ninth-grade boys teams, with the seventh-grade team also winning the U.S. Amateur National Championship.

The certifying entities organize tournaments and live periods to provide prime opportunities to play in front of coaches, evaluators and collegiate scouts under authorized conditions. Players and parents never know just who might be watching.

Some of the organizations distinguish the different team groups based on age, grade level or year of graduation. “The groupings are all interchangeable,” Midget explained.

He believes that everything came together to create a year of championships.

“This year has been a phenomenal year for a lot of reasons, including that Wellington is a great place for kids to play, and the coaches treat them right,” Midget said. “It’s a good program with a really great president.”

That president is Chris Fratalia, who said that the league had 19 teams this year with more than 225 boys and girls participating in the Wellington Wolves program.

“It was established with the help of former Mayor Bob Margolis, who still acts as an advisor today, and it has an interlocal agreement to be the official basketball supplier for the village,” Fratalia said.

It also has the permission of the school district to use the high school and middle school courts, as well as the village’s basketball facilities. “That keeps costs down because we don’t have to pay gym fees,” Fratalia explained.

The athletes are able to learn life lessons through the program.

“There are 37 trained volunteer coaches. Most are current high school or assistant coaches and some college staff, but it’s not just about competing in basketball. We hire Perseverance Training every year. They have professional coaches,” Fratalia said. “We teach the kids, who do all their playing in indoor, air-conditioned gyms, about [everything from] fundamental ball handling, to a strong work ethic to achieve results, all the way to decision-making skills.”

Fratalia said that the association will be adding a “Council of Dads,” inspired by the book of the same name by Bruce Feiler.

“Rolling out in August, the association’s own council of 13 local businessmen have little interest in basketball but are key people who have a very strong interest in helping kids,” Fratalia explained. “The council will advise and mentor players on the SAT and ACT [tests], scholarships, and Sylvan and Huntington for tutoring.”

Participants learn how to be the best basketball player they can be, as well as get some lessons in how to be the best student, best athlete and best person they can be.

Of course, the Wellington Wolves Travel Basketball Association’s comprehensive campaign centers around youth basketball. It opens doors by providing players entrance to top tournaments.

At one annual event, about 1,000 college coaches and scouts watch some 9,000 student-athletes compete. “It doesn’t get much bigger than that,” Midget said.

For more information about the league, visit www.wellingtonwolves.com.

Young Elvis Tribute Artist Matt Stone Puts Heart And Soul In His Performances

Wellington teenager Matt Stone grew up watching the television show “Full House,” featuring John Stamos as the leather-jacket-wearing rock musician Jesse helping his brother-in-law raise three daughters. But never mind the girls — it was the music that captivated him.

Although Stone originally favored the music of Led Zeppelin, legendary rock ’n’ roll pioneer Elvis had always been “a character in my mind,” he explained. As he became more aware of the music and the legend, it became something he wanted to emulate.

When Stone, now 15, found a leather jacket upstairs at home and began singing “Hound Dog,” his career as a youthful Elvis tribute singer began.

He started off slowly, singing in the living room. Then there was that one time he broke into Elvis songs while reading Christmas books to senior citizens. “They loved it,” Stone recalled.

However, it was a fateful family trip to Memphis that included a visit to Elvis’ home Graceland in 2015 that really kicked it into high gear.

“I was out back at the guest house of the Graceland hotel,” Stone said. “My dad threw me in front of everybody, and I did a couple of songs. I made $80 in tips in 10 minutes!”

That’s when father and son knew they were onto something.

Stone started small, getting booked at the Brookdale senior living facility in Lake Worth. Today, he does so many shows for the chain that he can barely remember them all.

“There’s one in Palm Beach Gardens, two in Boynton… I love to see the folks smile,” he said. “Sometimes they don’t get that much out of their day. And it makes me smile, too, because I love to play.”

In late 2016, at Backstreets Neighborhood Bar & Grill’s open mic night, Stone played the rock classic “Stairway to Heaven,” along with some of the other music that had inspired him. They hired him. By April 2017, he was a professional.

“I started going to other places, and started doing Elvis shows,” said Stone, who uses a vintage Shure Super 55 mic, known as “the Elvis mic” for its similarity to the one used by “The King,” together with a portable PA system.

At Backstreets, he uses one of their guitars, but elsewhere, he’ll use one of his own. He has 14, but for Elvis shows, he uses the Epiphone EJ-200SCE. “I don’t recommend it,” Stone said. “It has been in and out of the shop so often that Guitar Center finally gave me a loaner and sent it back to the factory. It seems to have been OK since then, though.”

Stone has 140 backing tracks and more on his phone. An average one-hour show allows him to sing and play through 15 songs. In a classic Elvis move, he hands out leis. “They don’t fall off my neck like scarves, and they’re cheaper, too,” he explained.

His biggest challenge? “Well, it’s not booking the shows. My dad does that,” he said. “It’s that going to school kind of limits my time. School lets out 2:45 p.m., I get picked up at 3 p.m., and I have a gig at 3:30 p.m.”

So, will his parental chauffeur be buying him a car when he turns 16?

“I’ve saved enough money to buy my own car,” Stone said, matter-of-factly.

Money aside, the biggest compliment Stone has received came recently when he was approached after a show by a woman who had known Elvis in the 1950s, before the rock icon went into the U.S. Army.

“She was friends with one of his bodyguards, and she told me that, in different fields, I am better than Elvis,” Stone laughed. “There is nobody who is ever going to be better than Elvis.”

Stone’s favorite song is one Elvis did in the 1960s. “Elvis had declined a movie career, probably a mistake, and in 1968, he comes back dressed in black leather, and he jumps back into touring. Elvis didn’t write his own music, but if he really connected to a single song, really felt it, it was ‘If I Can Dream.’ That was the one, and that is my favorite.”

So, what does the future hold for Wellington’s young “Elvis?”

“My dad wants me, sometime in the future, to use all my inspiration from Elvis and the artists of the time to create my own show and my own sound — to effectively bring back that music,” Stone explained. “Music is going in a downward spiral. Machines are taking over the instruments. The machine doesn’t have a heart, so there’s no heart to the music, no soul. I want to put the heart and soul back into music.”

Although Stone doesn’t feel that recording a music CD would be cost-effective yet, he does have a couple of songs on iTunes and Spotify — or visit “Matt Stone: The Prince of Rock ’n’ Roll” on YouTube if you want to hear some of music’s missing heart and soul.

Central Chamber’s Medical Board Of Governors Leads The Way On Healthcare Issues

Nearly a decade ago, the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce established its Medical Board of Governors, a group of leading medical specialists, hospital administrators, and key executive leaders in the healthcare and medical sector in Palm Beach County, with a specific mission: “To lead the way as a healthcare organization, to advocate, explore, integrate, develop, promote, mentor and inspire.”

This unique group discusses and gets behind issues that involve the latest advances in science, patient care and operational innovation. It has addressed healthcare issues and provided recommendations that require the expertise of the medical leadership to the county’s business community, schools and local government.

Some issues that the board has taken a stand on in the past several years include: continuity of patient care, the opioid crisis, and a proposed free-standing emergency facility that would have had an unintended negative impact on healthcare jobs and on the community.

“We have a very large healthcare presence in our footprint,” explained Mary Lou Bedford, CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber. “We are fortunate to have medical leaders who are willing to give their expertise to weigh-in on the issues that can impact the community.”

Chairing the group since 2017 is Dr. Lori Lane, a podiatric surgeon with offices in Wellington and West Palm Beach. Certified by the American Board of Wound Management, Lane has developed a passion for wound healing. She is involved in advanced treatments, including several clinical trials for the development of wound healing products and medications.

Lane believes that the Medical Board of Governors is a unique asset to the greater community.

“On it are physicians and prominent healthcare professionals with a combined 300-plus years of service to our community,” Lane said. “We live here, we work here, we raise our children here, and we experience the same community health issues as do all Wellington and central Palm Beach County residents. That is why we feel obligated, as well as honored, to provide professional insight into key community issues.”

Recently, the board took action on the critical issue of opioid addiction.

“Last year, we offered an educational luncheon to the community on the opioid crisis — an issue we as professionals experience first-hand daily,” Lane said. “Statistically, we know that most employers will have employees or employees with family members compromised by addiction. We want our board to be a resource on where to find help.”

A closely related issue will be the focus of an upcoming luncheon.

“This year, our healthcare luncheon, scheduled for Sept. 13, will center around mental health and the effects it has on our communities,” Lane said. “We know that so many of the tragedies happening in communities are rooted in mental health issues, especially around disparities in diagnoses, stigmas and treatment programs.”

This is a particularly timely issue, given recent events.

“School and workplace safety, increasing rates of suicide and the ongoing opioid epidemic are a few timely examples,” Lane said. “We are currently working with [Palm Beach County] Sheriff [Ric] Bradshaw and his agency to help provide awareness of his objectives and be a vehicle to help find solutions.”

Dr. Daniel Ghiragossian chaired the Medical Board of Governors from 2015 to 2017 and remains an active participant.

“Besides the mission, the board seeks to provide a medical destination of community-based medical and wellness information,” Ghiragossian explained. “We try to develop strategic partnerships of physicians and non-physicians to ingrain in the community a practice of excellent services, with our only interest in the community welfare, and no interest individually. We want to establish a recognition that Palm Beach County is the place to come to be well.”

Dr. David Soria led the board from 2012 to 2015 and is proud of the great work it has done.

“The board has rigorous objectives and a very specific mission statement,” Soria said. “The chamber has a huge medical community, but there was a void between patients and medical communication and education. We provide cutting-edge news and bridge the gap between the patient experience and the communication aspects. The board provides a value-added benefit for residents of the community.”

Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, a longtime healthcare leader in the western communities, was the first person to chair the Medical Board of Governors.

“Our mission statement really says it all. The purpose of forming the board, which is made up of varied physicians and other medical business leaders, was to be an avenue or conduit of medical information, whether it be the latest medical news or medical political changes, and to be able to share it with chamber members and the other businesses of the community,” Bishop said. “We, as a group, have been influential in effecting some positive changes in our community. We are in collaboration alongside some special task forces to improve the needs of our community, whether it be education, serving the underserved or input into the opioid epidemic.”

Bishop added that the Medical Board of Governors is always welcoming new initiatives, and Lane agreed.

“The Medical Board of Governors is an asset to the community unlike any other,” Lane said.

To contact the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce’s Medical Board of Governors, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.cpbchamber.com.

Wellington Chamber Committee Puts Focus On Health And Wellness

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce Medical & Wellness Committee aims to educate the community while promoting local health and wellness professionals. This is a mission that is very important to Lisa Banionis, a health and wellness industry professional who serves as the current chair of the committee.

She uses her expertise to provide leadership as the business and marketing director at Palm Beach Anti-Aging & Regenerative Medicine and Florida Interventional Pain Management.

“I’ve worked professionally in marketing, education, and the health and wellness industry,” Banionis said. “As a certified health coach and with my master’s degree in education, I am able to follow my passion for health and wellness and provide health coaching to patients.”

She has made education a key focus of her work with the chamber. “Chairing the committee gives me the opportunity to educate the community through the various outreach programs and events that we do every year, along with helping these businesses showcase their services,” Banionis explained. “I am passionate about functional medicine, knowing the ‘why’ you feel sick versus ‘what’ you have and just giving a prescription. Educating people how to take care of themselves the right way has been my mission for many years.”

In addition to chairing the Medical & Wellness Committee, Banionis is on the board of Women of Wellington, an arm of the Wellington Chamber. “I have become involved in giving back through the many charities that Women of Wellington support,” she said. “One such charity is Place of Hope, an organization caring for abused and neglected children, where I counsel girls on nutrition and health.”

The Medical & Wellness Committee includes a diverse group of individuals who share the common goal of informing and educating the community.

“Our committee provides valuable resources regarding health, wellness, spiritual and safety issues as it pertains to quality of life matters in Wellington,” Banionis said. “We differ from most other health and wellness committees in that we strive to bridge the gap between eastern and western modalities and incorporate wellness into people’s daily lives. Committee members range from physicians and orthodontists to acupuncturists and holistic healers.”

Banionis said that people today are seeking innovative approaches to healthcare. “We have seen it in our own practice with our patients, hence the reason we added platelet rich plasma, stem cell therapy and, most importantly, functional medicine,” she said.

People can find such innovative approaches locally. “The medical and wellness industry in Wellington is aware of these trends and are incorporating them into their practices — from adding high-tech equipment and services such as three-dimensional imaging, minimally invasive robotic surgery, laser surgery, neonatal intensive care units, platelet rich plasma and stem cell therapy to preventative measures such as physical therapy, chiropractic services, acupuncture, health club memberships, yoga, Pilates, barre, boxing, CrossFit and boot camps, just to name a few,” she said.

Banionis explained that medical and wellness businesses have doubled in the last few years due to the demand for such services. “Wellington is a health-conscious community, and the people are all about taking care of themselves,” she said.

Also on the committee is Dr. Howard Shullman, an orthodontist with an undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering and a doctorate in dental medicine, both from the University of Florida. He also served as chief resident in the Department of Orthodontics at Nova Southeastern University.

Shullman has been serving the Wellington community for more than 13 years and treats patients of all ages. He feels that a benefit of the committee is that he and his staff brainstorm with other committee members. He commented that his involvement directly impacts how he educates his patients.

By participating in the various committee events, Shullman has been able to address orthodontic concerns that many families share throughout Wellington. He believes that patient education is the key to understanding treatment, and through the committee efforts, he is able to provide that education to a broader audience.

Shullman said that his involvement with the committee has opened his eyes to what other like-minded health and wellness business owners are doing in the community.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, which will open a new Pediatric Specialty Center in Wellington next year, also has a place on the committee. Amanda Millman, director of business development, has found the committee an important factor as the hospital grows its presence in Wellington. “The committee has been a true asset in developing relationships with fellow health and wellness professionals in the Wellington community,” she said. “Being part of the committee has given us the opportunity to get to know other healthcare organizations within Wellington.”

Through this organization, she has come to know many others in the local healthcare industry. “As a committee, we meet monthly to discuss new projects and initiatives, as well as travel to fellow committee members’ facilities. We have the opportunity to see their organizations firsthand and experience the wonderful work that they do,” Millman said. “We are excited to be part of such a health-driven community and look forward to providing specialty care for the children and their families.”

To contact the Wellington Chamber of Commerce’s Medical & Wellness Committee, visit www.wellingtonchamber.com or call (561) 792-6525.

Specialized Cardiac Care Saving Lives At Wellington Regional Medical Center

Hypothermia in Florida? Unique specialty treatments such as hypothermia therapy at Wellington Regional Medical Center make a big difference in cardiac care.

Steve Calia, 63, had just returned from a walk with his dogs when he collapsed to the floor. His wife, Jill, and their son, Kevin, rushed to help him.

Kevin was the hero, said Jill, recalling how the 911 operator helped coach him through providing CPR, as they waited for the ambulance to arrive. The 911 operator was also excellent, Jill noted, describing how she provided detailed instructions as they listened to everything through the speaker phone. If it weren’t for her help, there might have been a different outcome, Jill said.

Paramedics took Steve to Wellington Regional Medical Center, an accredited Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI and Resuscitation. This means that the hospital is equipped to deal with cardiac cases and administer specialty hypothermia care for select patients.

“Mr. Calia was very critical at the time he arrived,” explained Dr. Sreedhar Chintala, medical director of critical care services.

Chintala explained that the CPR was key to Steve’s emergency treatment and helped keep his brain alive, but he had not had enough blood supply and oxygen to his brain. There were two major blockages and very low heart function, Chintala added. The patient also suffered from ventricular fibrillation, which is a serious disturbance in the heart rhythm. This led to cardiac arrest — an extremely dangerous condition that causes the heart to stop beating.

For select patients, cooling the body temperature with hypothermia therapy can offer effective treatment. Patients whose heartbeat has returned, but who are still unconscious, may be candidates for this therapy. The brain has a high metabolism and needs a lot of oxygen, Chintala explained. Cooling the body slows the brain’s metabolism and can help to reduce neurological damage. It can also increase the chance that the patient will wake up.

Jill recalled waiting anxiously with their three sons for her husband to regain consciousness. Then, while she was standing by his bedside with their son Tommy, he opened his eyes.

“The first thing I remember was my son telling me to squeeze his finger,” Steve recalled. “I still didn’t really grasp the situation. In my mind, it wasn’t real.”

He then got to know the hospital team that had been supporting and caring for him. “The staff was great,” he said.

“It’s not just being good with the patient, they were also very helpful to the family,” Jill added.

Chintala noted that Steve also received antioxidant therapy to support his recovery. This involved providing a combination of vitamin C, vitamin E and coenzyme Q10 (or CoQ10) to help protect the neurons in the brain from getting damaged.

Steve improved significantly. After 20 days in the hospital, he returned home, with a plan to begin outpatient rehabilitation. Rehab after cardiac arrest, such as mind-stimulating exercises, can have significant long-term benefits, Chintala said.

Today, Steve continues to work on getting better. He was able to celebrate his granddaughter’s birthday recently and is excited about soon being a grandfather for the second time. Also, he and Jill, who breed goldendoodle puppies, welcomed a new litter this past year. His family reminds him that recovery will take time, which he thankfully has. “I’m grateful that I’m alive,” he said.

To learn more about cardiology services at Wellington Regional Medical Center, visit www.wellingtonregional.com/cardiac.

Children’s Hospital At Palms West Now Offering Advanced Concussion Treatment

Emergency room visits for concussions and other traumatic brain injuries in children ages eight to 19 topped 200,000 nationwide last year. As these statistics have more than doubled in the last decade, parents can be reassured that the Children’s Hospital at Palms West is now prepared to quickly evaluate and provide Advanced Concussion Treatment (ACT) for sports-related injuries, falls or accidents.

“When we were kids, there wasn’t really a big focus on it, but now with enhanced awareness of concussion, return-to-play protocols, and just the fact that being in Wellington with such a high amount of sports activities, people are becoming aware,” said Krista Hawkinson, director of emergency services at the Children’s Hospital at Palms West. “There’s a lot of activity here that can contribute to increased concussions due to the fact that we are in a perpetual state of summer year-round.”

Children who sustain a concussion almost always recover completely in a relatively short period of time. “Young athletes — some as young as five or six — their brains are still developing. We want to ensure that, first of all, we are providing testing for any children who are playing sports in Palm Beach County,” Director of Pediatric Services Caren Bock explained.

The best way to achieve a good outcome from an incident is to ensure that a child is evaluated and assessed by experts with special training in brain injuries.

“That’s so important to us because their brain is developing. To have continuous baselines, at least once a year or every two years, is so helpful if they do feel the effects of a concussion,” Bock said. “With children’s smaller heads, there could be more problems than the parents or the physicians can know from observation alone. As children do naturally bounce back quickly, it’s helpful to have a comparison of a baseline, over time, so you can compare any injuries throughout their childhood.”

Concussion symptoms to look for include: temporary loss of consciousness, balance problems with unsteady walking, dizziness or “seeing stars,” double or fuzzy vision, confusion or feeling “foggy,” slurred speech, ringing in the ears, sensitivity to light or sound, headache or a feeling of pressure in the head, nausea or vomiting, memory problems, irritability, crankiness or fatigue.

Left untreated, concussions can lead to severe brain injury, and while the majority of young athletes recover from concussions, athletes who are not fully recovered from an initial concussion are at higher risk for receiving a second. When a child has a second concussion before the first is fully recovered, significant cognitive and behavioral changes can occur.

This can leave the child at risk for Second Impact Syndrome, a rare condition with often catastrophic results. Second Impact Syndrome can result from even a mild concussion that occurs days or weeks after the initial one.

Many concussions go unrecognized. It has been estimated that more than half of the concussions occurring at the adolescent and high-school level are never recognized or diagnosed by the team coach, trainer or physician. It is extremely important that these injuries are recognized and treated immediately.

“The Advanced Concussion Treatment program has been in the planning stages for a year now,” Bock explained. “We wanted to make sure that it was a comprehensive program, so we worked with teams from all the disciplines to ensure that we are providing education to patients and families in the field about sports-related injuries. We have an outpatient center that residents can come to as well.

Collaborating with local schools and recreational sports teams, Palms West Hospital is providing ImPACT (Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing) baseline assessments for athletes, prior to suffering a concussion. “This is the national gold standard for concussion screening,” Hawkinson said.

“The National Football League uses this baseline test,” Bock added. “The child sits at a computer and what it is looking at is neurocognitive.”

Student athletes are given these computerized neurocognitive tests before the sports season begins, showing their normal, healthy level of cognitive function. Memory, information processing and reaction time are all objectively measured.

If the athlete sustains a concussion, then neurocognitive tests are given again, which will help to determine the impact of the concussion and provide important information about managing the concussion. “We can see if there’s any changes after a concussion or if it’s just a small injury,” Bock said.

This process allows each athlete to have an individual plan for their safe return to playing sports.

“What they do is provide baseline testing to the child for their cognitive abilities,” Hawkinson said. “This allows us to see where we need to target their treatment plan, and physical therapy is based upon that screening tool.”

With the fall sports season just around the corner, it’s important for parents to learn about the signs of a concussion and get a baseline concussion test done for their young athletes. In some areas, the $25 assessment is mandatory.

If you think your loved one has had or is suffering from a concussion, or for information on pre-injury preparations for an objective baseline, visit the Children’s Hospital at Palms West or call (561) 345-7009. Visit www.palmswesthospital.com to learn more.

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital Bringing Specialized Pediatric Care To Wellington

Wellington provides a unique quality of life filled with an abundance of parks, quality schools, charming neighborhoods and engaging equestrian interests. Joining the community will be Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, with its first pediatric specialty center in Wellington set to open its doors in early 2019.

The new center will be the largest specialty center outside of the four-floor freestanding children’s hospital. Known in South Florida as one of the region’s leading pediatric hospitals, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital offers a comprehensive scope of healthcare services and programs in a child-friendly environment. Located in Hollywood, the pediatric hospital has several satellite physician offices throughout Broward County and southern Palm Beach County.

The Wellington location, which has already broken ground, is located on State Road 7, north of Lake Worth Road and south of Forest Hill Blvd. The new specialty center is a 30,000-square-foot facility and will house board-certified pediatric specialists, an outpatient surgery center, pediatric rehabilitation services and comprehensive imaging services with state-of-the-art technology.

The Pediatric Specialty Center in Wellington will provide services such as pediatric otolaryngology/head and neck surgery (ENT), pediatric general surgery, pediatric orthopaedics and U18 sports medicine, pediatric pulmonology, pediatric endocrinology and pediatric neurology. In addition, there will be pediatric rehabilitation services, including pediatric physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and sports physical therapy as part of the U18 sports medicine program.

The Pediatric Specialty Center was designed to foster collaboration with area pediatricians, as well as other healthcare providers, by extending the hospital’s highly specialized pediatric services closer to home for patients and their families in the Palm Beaches. This will be the third pediatric specialty location in Palm Beach County for Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, with the other two located in Boca Raton.

“We are excited to expand our services into Wellington and meet the growing and diverse needs of Palm Beach County,” Vice President of Palm Beach Operations Dawn Quaranta said. “Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital understands the importance of becoming a community partner. Our specialists provide high quality comprehensive care for children in the region.”

Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, part of the Memorial Healthcare System, is a freestanding, four-story, 226-bed facility. The hospital showcases an overall “Power of Play” philosophy with each floor displaying themes of sports, arts, games and dreams. Patients, families and visitors experience a whimsical world in which treatment and healing intertwine with medical expertise to provide an experience like no other in the Florida healthcare landscape. This patient and family-centered care culture will be incorporated into the Pediatric Specialty Center in Wellington.

“Since opening our doors, our culture of patient-centered and family-centered care has been consistent. It means that families and healthcare professionals are true partners, working together to serve in the best interest of the patient,” said Chantal Leconte, administrator and chief executive officer of Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital.

This practice has earned the hospital a world-wide recognition as a “Planetree Designated Person-Centered Organization.” It was the first children’s hospital in the world to receive this accreditation. This provides the hospital and its facilities a unique commendation for the compassion and care provided to patients beyond the clinical treatment, and places them in a distinguished network of only 86 other healthcare organizations worldwide with the same designation.

On the clinical front, the hospital has more than 650 physicians on staff, the region’s largest diversity of board-certified pediatric specialists. It has developed into a premier, specialized, quaternary care facility qualified to treat some of the most complex and critical medical conditions. Hence, it has been ranked nationally by U.S. News & World Report among the best children’s hospitals in the nation for five consecutive years.

“From its beginnings, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital was designed to stand out as a strong advocate for children’s health and wellness,” Leconte said. “As we extend our services to areas where patients need us, we look forward to further developing our partnerships with pediatricians in the Palm Beach community.”

Through the years, its clinical expertise has grown to offer programs from rehabilitation to dialysis, as well as oncology, cardiac surgery, intensive and emergency care, to name a few. In 2010, the hospital received federal approval from the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) to launch a pediatric heart transplant program, clearing the path for the first heart transplant in the hospital’s history. Since then, the cardiac surgery team has performed 45 pediatric heart transplants. The hospital is now preparing to launch a pediatric kidney transplant program.

Established in 1992, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital combines advanced technology and the expertise of the largest, most diverse group of board-certified pediatric specialists in the region. With its 2011 expansion, the hospital now has 226 beds and is South Florida’s newest freestanding children’s hospital. It is part of Memorial Healthcare System, one of the largest public healthcare systems in the country. The hospital has pediatric specialty practices in Boca Raton, Coral Springs, Miramar, Weston and Hollywood.

For more information about the Memorial Healthcare System, visit www.mhs.net. For additional information about Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, visit www.jdch.com.

Take  A Trip Into The Wild  At Lion Country Safari

For 50 years, Lion Country Safari has proven to be a roaring good time across its four-mile drive-through safari and 55-acre walk-through adventure park. Five decades later, it’s still as wildly popular as ever — a Palm Beach County gem that continues to shine, especially in the summertime.

“Every visit is a different experience,” said Haley Passeser, public relations associate for Lion Country Safari. “People can drive at their own pace in the comfort of their own vehicle and stop and take pictures when they would like. We’re really the only one people can drive through themselves.”

Florida’s only drive-through safari includes 1,000 animals. It has recently been ranked as one of the 10 best wildlife parks in the nation, and one of the best savanna exhibits in the world. The park is a destination for many residents and out-of-town visitors alike, where they experience up-close animal encounters within inches from their vehicles — similar to being on an African safari, where animals roam freely like they do in the wild. It’s also home to the country’s largest herd of zebras and one of the largest herds of giraffe in North America.

“It’s really naturalistic, not only in the landscape we provide and the habitats we have here, but also the manner in which they’re in the social groups,” Passeser said.

And the animal families are expanding. “When you drive through, there’s a bundle of babies running around,” she said. “It’s really cute.”

Since last September, six babies have been welcomed, including two water buffalo, as well as four giraffe calves. With the world’s giraffe population going through a silent extinction — a 40 percent decline of the wild population over the past three years — Lion Country Safari has partnered with the Association of Zoos & Aquariums’ Giraffe SAFE (Saving Animals from Extinction) program, and also supports the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

“Coming in to hang out with the babies is a great opportunity while they’re still young,” Passeser said. “They all hang out like a giraffe daycare around their moms.”

For those who want a wilder experience, there are several tour options available for an additional fee, including a one-hour guided walking tour through Safari World that includes an encounter with three different animals.

Visitors looking to capture some great moments on camera can take the 90-minute guided photo tour that brings animals to you while driving through the preserve with vehicle windows rolled down.

The newest tour is geared toward the youngest of animal lovers. Kids age five and under can take the toddler tour, where they go behind the scenes to see prehistoric animals or a personal experience at the petting zoo.

“We wanted to develop something more geared toward them that’s kid-friendly to keep their attention, not run too long, but also still fit in interaction and information,” Passeser said. “We have some animals that aren’t typically on the petting zoo floor like our mini zebu cows or our donkeys, so we try to include our encounters or feedings with those animals as well.”

Kids who dream of becoming a zookeeper can have their chance at one of the safari’s summer camps. The safari day camp for kids ages 6 to 13 is a huge draw. Campers get to learn about conservation, in addition to special interactions. “They get to do behind-the-scenes activities regular visitors don’t get to do, so it makes it extra-special for them,” Passeser said. “Anything from one-on-one time with the keeper, like making diets, to up-close and personal encounters. For example, during rhino week, they meet the rhino keeper and get to touch the rhinos before they go out first thing in the morning.”

On hot summer days, the two water slides at Lion Country Safari are a perfect way to cool off, including a 108-foot-long freefall slide, as well as a 214-foot-long loop water slide. There’s also the water wars water balloon challenge and a 4,000-square-foot water spray ground, complete with newly resurfaced padding. Many umbrellas dot the seating area to keep families cool. Several refreshment stands serve up cool drinks and snacks, or for a meal, try the African-themed restaurant with its revamped menu. Be sure to visit one of the several gift shops as well.

There are dozens of animal exhibits in the walk-through park, including animal theater, giraffe feedings, flamingos and reptiles. Or hop on a ride, like the carousel, dry slides, an elephant amusement ride, mini-golf or paddle your way by boat near islands filled with monkeys and chimpanzees. Visitors can also view the animals in action aboard the Safari Queen pontoon boat tour.

“Our chimp habitat island setting is really special and unique to us. In the wild, chimpanzees are naturally nomadic, as they move around and forage for food and build new nests every night. They like to be on the move quite a bit, so we like to simulate that and make it as natural as possible,” Passeser said. “We’ll create giant popsicles, throw a bunch of produce in a bucket and freeze it, and provide the chimps with a great snack on a hot day.”

For a more rustic adventure, the nationally ranked KOA Campground is next door, where campers can hear the nighttime sounds of Africa. Lions can be heard first thing in the morning within a five-mile radius.

Rain or shine, visitors are welcome every day of the year from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $35 for adults and $26 for kids; those 2 and under are free. For a discounted rate, buy online.

For a substantial savings, check out the Summer Savings Pass. It’s $58 for adults and $48 for children 3 to 12. It includes four parks, with unlimited visits to Lion Country Safari, the Miami Seaquarium, the Museum of Discovery & Science and Zoo Miami until Sept. 30. With huge savings like that, it’s time to get wild!

Lion Country Safari is located at 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, off Southern Blvd. For more information, call (561) 793-1084 or visit www.lioncountrysafari.com.